2024 LB Parker Startz Excited To Visit Notre Dame

The hard work he put in the offseason has already resulted in four scholarship offers and Parker Startz‍ is hoping for more.

The 2024 Chicago linebacker landed offers from Akron, Western Michigan, Ohio and Bowling Green this past spring.

Since Sept. 1st, he’s heard from more Power-5 schools and after hearing from Notre Dame on Sunday, he’ll be in South Bend for the Irish’s home opener this weekend.

“I was just sitting there and I got a text from Chad Bowden,” the Mount Carmel High School standout told ISD. “He was asking me if I wanted to come out this weekend to visit and see the game.

“It was just out of nowhere. It's awesome. Notre Dame's one of my favorite colleges. I'm happy to get down there. It's just the tradition. Obviously, Notre Dame is known to be...it's Notre Dame, you know? It's a Catholic school. I go to Catholic school in Chicago. I'm just excited.

Startz has never been to Notre Dame.

“I'm hoping to see how the environment is, hoping to meet some cool people, the staff, coaches,” he said. “Just see how the environment is at Notre Dame, see how it is on game day. I'm excited to see all the players and just everything.

Startz is grateful for the offers he has already.

“It's awesome,” the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder said. “This offseason, I worked pretty hard. I wasn't really expecting to get offers. I just worked as hard as I could all offseason. Obviously some colleges saw that and offered me. Now, the recruitment's really starting to go. Since September 1st started, I've been talking to bigger colleges. I've been getting a lot of mail. It's really picking up now.”

In addition to Notre Dame, Startz has received interest from Minnesota, Cincinnati, Kansas State and Illinois in the last week.

It’s still relatively early, but Startz has an idea of what he’s looking for in a school.

“When I get down to the college, I want to build a great relationship with everybody. I want to feel like home when I'm there and I want to feel welcome, just overall, feel like that's where I need to be and that's my home. Just feel like everyone I talk to there wants me to feel that I'm there and welcome.”

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